St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-02-01
Rev. DR.. Smith Refuses to Take Wa
ter, and is Anxious for Full
Investigation.
Goodrich Introduces a Prohfbitory
Amendment--Kelle Gets .iis
Banking Bill Through.

Gov. McGill made the first bad break of
his administration when he consented to
appear at the opera house and preside over
the high license meeting. He has gotten
himself into hot water and will be beset
with stormy seas hereafter. His ill-ad-
viSed attack upon the opponents of high
license and his reckless charge in relation
to bribery and corruption of members of
the legislature is certain to act like a
boomerang, and Mr.. McGill will find that
he has committed very bad political
blunder. even if it does not develop into
something worse than that. The BOOM
erang started on its return trip yesterday
and created considerable havoc. 1t is
likely to tear things to pieces worse than a
cyclone, before it finally completes the trip
and knocks Mr.. McGill out by a direct
blow i'll the abdomen. The peculiar and
striking feature Of the matter is that the
first blow given McGill comes from his own
party ranks. and there can be no charge of
a partisan assault on the executive. Rep
resentative Rogers took occasiOn-at yes
terday's session of the house-to pay his
respects to Gov. McGill land incidentally to
that caused some surprise and admitted of
no miSconStructiOn of his meaning. Mr.
Rogers made a clean-cut issue with the
governor. and left it in such shape that the
latter will find it exceedingly difficult to
clear his skirts of the stigma that attaches
to them. Mr.. Rogers was very much in
earnest, too, and ne asserted that Gov. Nc
Gill had no right to act and talk as he did
at that meeting. The chief executive of
the state exceeded his prerogatives When
he presided at a meeting which had for its
object the influencing of legislative votes
in favor of any measure, and he resented
as an insult the assertion by the governor
that members of the legislature had been
bribed and that detectives had been set to
dog the tracks of all of them. 1t was an
outrage that such surs should be cast upon
the legislature-and more especially so
when the chief executive of the state him
self was the guilty party. Mr.. Rogers de-
clared that ii the Republicans expected to
make high License party issue and force
the Republican members to support it by
such measures, it would soon be found out
that mistake had been made. Republi-
cans would
NOT CONSENT TO BE WHIPPED IN.
He said Gov McGil did not dare take
such position before the election, and he
resented with Indignation the aspersions
cast upon the members of the legislature by
the governor. Mr.. Rogers effort was strong
and he did not hesitate to express his Opin-
ions boldly. S@When he concluded it was eX-
pected that some Republican member would
come to the defense of McGill and resent
the reflections made upon the governor. but
no one made a sign or opened his mouth,
and the Inference was inevitable that the
governor had no friends in the house who
cared to defend his course. The perform
ance began soon after the roll had been
called, under the head OF motions and reso-
lutionS Mr.. Rogers arose from his seat
and held alOft in his hand a paper which
he sent to the clerks desk to be read. 1t
was plain from Mr.. Rogers manner that
something out of the ordinary course was
to happen. and all eyes were turned toward
him. The clerk read the paper. which was
q resolution, as follows:
Resolved, That the speaker appoint at once
a committee of five TO investigate and ascer-
tain what if any, corrupt Influences, either
monetary or otherwise, are being used to in
fuence the votes of members of this house
on any measure now peuding before it, or
likely to be brought before it, and as to
whether detectives have been, or are now, en-
ployed to watch the members of this house,
with power to send for persons or papers.
Which was afterwards amended by Mr..
Potter as follows:
And. also. if there is any truth in the asser-
ton that large sums of money have been
raised for the purpose of defeating any
measure before this house.
Mr.. Rogers then came down to the re-
porters' desk and drank glass of water,
and it was more evident than before that he
meant business. Holding a copy of the
GLOBE in his hand he read extracts of the
report of the high license meeting held at
the opera house and proceeded to comment
thereon. His manner was excited and his
voice loud and ringing, indicative of sup
nressed Indignation. He was not at all
delicate in expressing his opinions. and his
strong language in referring to Gov. McGill
made a marked impression. MI. Rogers
said:
II is well known that there is a measure
pending before the house commonly knowr
as the high license bill. 1t is well known thai
TO some of the peculiar features of this bill
many members. who don't allow other mem
hers to arrogate to themselves all of the Vir
the in this house, are opposed. A public
meeting was called IN this city at the Opera
honse last evening, to create public opinion
in favor of particular bill. Gentlemen, tha
was we'll enough. / do not object to mel
meeting together for the purpose of urging
the passage OF any bill. But when the gov
ernor and attorney general of this state pre-
eumed to appear at Il public meeting and sub
atantialIy charged the members of q co-ordi
nate branch of this government with bein:
bribed, then 1 say it is time to call n halt upol
thai governor and that attorney general ant
give them an opportunity to make good tn
charges which they there made. Let us SCI
,Uhether this is right. If there are on the foo
of this house, or in the lobby of this house
agents of the whisky ring with large sums o
money 10 buy up members of this Legislature
iet if be known and reported TO the house by
a proper committee appointed by the speaker
Tbere are men in this house who will no.
arobably support this measure This meeting
vas not aimed at Democrats. because the.
ara known on party lines to be opposed t,
this measure But it was meant to whip il
Republcans who might not be IN favor O
~ narticular measure which this NEE tim
Ssvored. Let us see what this governor say!